Candidate Q&AEditor’s note: The Courier will publish a series of candidate questions and answers as a 2014 voter’s guide. Each of the candidates were emailed the same questions. Below are the responses from candidates for mayor in Dardanelle, Pottsville and Atkins. In Dardanelle, incumbent Carolyn McGee will face Tony Lamb; in Pottsville, incumbent Jerry Williams will face Bryan Duvall; and in Atkins, incumbent Jerry Don Barrett will face Harold Tate. Mayo...

Ross, Hutchinson split on voter ID law at debate CONWAY (AP) — Democrat Mike Ross and Republican Asa Hutchinson split on whether a court was right to strike down Arkansas' voter ID law and accused one another of flip-flopping on key issues as the gubernatorial rivals squared off Thursday for their third televised debate. The two rivals shared the stage with the Libertarian and Green Party nominees for the state's top office in a debate broadcast by the Arkansas Educational Television Network...

AG: Ruling 'clear' no voter ID for election LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' top lawyer and top election official said Thursday that voters will not be required to show photo identification at the polls for the November election, saying a state Supreme Court decision finding the requirement unconstitutional blocks the measure from being enforced. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and Secretary of State Mark Martin said the court's unanimous ruling a day earlier means local election officials...

Court: Voters will consider Arkansas liquor issue LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' highest court said Thursday that voters will be able to consider a proposal to expand liquor sales statewide, rejecting arguments that the idea's backers missed a key deadline and failed to adequately tell people what a "yes" vote means. In a unanimous decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court said it was proper for Secretary of State Mark Martin to move a filing deadline from the Independence Day holiday to the next bu...

3 debate over lieutenant governor post CONWAY (AP) — Two candidates say they want to use Arkansas' lieutenant governor's post to boost job creation in the state, but a third says that's not the role of the office. Republican Tim Griffin, Democrat John Burkhalter and Libertarian Chris Olson met Thursday in a debate set for a nighttime broadcast on the Arkansas Educational Television Network. Griffin and Burkhalter said they want to promote the state's economic development, but Olson...

Cotton, Pryor spar over defining middle class FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and Republican Rep. Tom Cotton sparred Wednesday over Pryor's comment that the middle class includes households making up to $200,000, as the Arkansas Senate rivals each tried to claim an edge after a pair of back-to-back debates. Cotton pounced on the remark Pryor made during a Tuesday night debate, saying it shows he is too out of touch to represent Arkansas anymore. "It's Sen. Pryor's supp...

Pryor reports raising $2.2M over past 3 months LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor on Wednesday reported raising more than $2.2 million over the past three months for his re-election bid, trailing the amount raised in the same period by Republican rival Rep. Tom Cotton in Arkansas' heated Senate race. Pryor reported spending more than $5.2 million during the third quarter and ended the fundraising period with more than $1 million in the bank. Pryor has raised $11.1 million s...

Ross fundraising outpaces Hutchinson in September LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Democrat Mike Ross on Wednesday reported raising more than $540,000 last month in his bid for Arkansas governor, outpacing the fundraising reported by Republican rival Asa Hutchinson. Ross's campaign said the September fundraising figures means he's raised more than $6.2 million since launching his bid last year. Ross spent more than $520,000 during the month and ended with more than $327,000 in the bank. Ross said he believ...

Ross talks Ebola, education before group LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross said Wednesday the state would need to take a "common sense" approach on privacy rights should Ebola ever be detected in the state. Ross, who spoke at the Political Animals Club meeting at the governor's mansion, said afterward he supports patient privacy rights but that health officials would have to find an appropriate way to protect the public from the virus spreading — and do it...

GOP candidate: Kids' smartphones 'are the devil' CONWAY (AP) — The Republican candidate for attorney general said Wednesday she would use the office to keep children safe online, telling voters that smartphones in the hands of young people "are the devil." When asked during the debate at the Arkansas Educational Television Network what her priorities would be on Day One, GOP candidate Leslie Rutledge said she would fight crimes in cyberspace — particularly those aimed at children — by helpin...

Dems hope for strong get-out-the-vote success LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Democrats claimed a big success after former President Bill Clinton campaigned across several college campuses in Arkansas recently, saying they signed up enough partisans to fill more than 4,000 volunteer shifts in their drive to re-elect Sen. Mark Pryor. Now the concern is the "flake rate" — the people who fail to show up. Welcome to the final stages of a costly voter turnout operation in Arkansas and other states that hav...

ACLU 'thrilled' with high court's voter ID ruling LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Opponents of Arkansas' voter identification law are praising a state high court ruling that found the measure unconstitutional. Holly Dickson is legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which sued over the law passed last year by the Legislature. Dickson says the ACLU is "thrilled" that the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the law Wednesday. Dickson called the law "an unconstitutional barrier that ...

'Private option' enrollment jumps to nearly 205K LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Human Service says nearly 205,000 people have enrolled in the state's Medicaid expansion program that extends health care coverage to low-income residents. The department announced Wednesday that 204,811 people had completed enrollment in the "private option" program as of Sept. 30. That's an increase of more than 10,000 from the Aug. 31 tally. The agency says the majority of enrollees are between ...

Arkansas high court strikes down voter ID law LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' highest court on Wednesday struck down a state law that requires voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot, ruling the requirement unconstitutional just days before early voting begins for the Nov. 4 election. In a decision that could have major implications in the state's election, the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that determined the law unconstitutionally added a requirement f...

Candidate Q&AEditor’s note: The Courier will publish a series of candidate questions and answers as a 2014 voter’s guide. Each of the candidates were emailed the same questions. Below are the responses from candidates for the Pope County Circuit Clerk, Democrat David L. Vance and Republican Diane Willcutt. Look for more candidate Q&As in future editions. David L. Vance Why are you seeking this position? I have been interested in running for this position f...

Russellville's next mayorEditor’s note: The Courier will publish a series of candidate questions and answers as a 2014 voter's guide. Each of the candidates were emailed the same questions. Below are the responses from candidates for Russellville mayor. Look for more candidate Q&As in future editions. Martin Irwin Why are you seeking this position? I am seeking the office of mayor because I am concerned about the future of Russellville. Russellville is my life-long ho...

Judge: Signatures OK in Arkansas minimum wage case LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Backers of a measure to raise Arkansas' minimum wage gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot, a special judge said Friday, dealing a blow to opponents who hope to block the proposal from going before voters next month. But opponents are hopeful the Arkansas Supreme Court will disagree with the judge's recommendation and throw out 8,500 names because a notary's signature had been forged. The Arkans...

Pope County Flu Clinic postponed The Pope County drive-thru flu clinic, originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24 at the Pope County Fairgrounds, has been postponed due to a delay in shipment from the flu vaccine’s distributor. The new flu clinic date will be announced as soon as it is re-scheduled. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) recommended getting the flu vaccine wherever it is available (pharmacies, other health care providers). It is very important for pregnant wo...

Homeless veterans shelter receives grant LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A $183,750 grant has been approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a homeless veterans shelter in Arkansas. Members of Arkansas' congressional delegation announced the grant on Thursday for St. Francis House, which provides services for chronically mentally ill homeless veterans in Little Rock. The funding comes from VA's Grant and Per Diem Program Special Need Grants. The grants allow organizations to continu...

Huckabee backs Cotton at Fort Smith rally FORT SMITH (AP) — Former Gov. Mike Huckabee says he wants Arkansas voters to have something to celebrate on election night. The ex-governor visited Fort Smith on Thursday to endorse U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton in his challenge for a U.S. Senate seat. Huckabee's visit comes just days after former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Democratic candidates in Conway, Jonesboro, Fayetteville and Rogers. Cotton and Huckabee were joined by U.S. Sen. John ...